Hi, I’m Nicole and I have been volunteering at Tullie House for five months now working with the Curatorial team at Longtown and as a Gallery Engager in the museum. Previously I volunteered for Cumbria Wildlife Trust. I have been studying Fine Art and wanted a volunteer role which would help me gain experience while looking for work in the Arts sector.
At Longtown I am part of the team digitising the collections stored there to make it easier for people to access and study the artefacts.
I really enjoy my role as a Gallery Engager too. In this role I meet different people and have interesting conversations with visitors. I am often in Old Tullie House which displays items from the museum’s Fine and Decorative Arts Collection. My favourite piece is a work by Herbert Lees.
As part of my role as a Gallery Engager, I talk to visitors about the collections and help them learn more about the art works through highlighting information available in the galleries. I also enjoy the quiet periods when I can have time to myself to understand the art works better and to learn more about them and the artists.
I actively looked for a volunteer role which would suit my interests and career goals. I found the application process straightforward and felt really well supported by Kate Apperley (Tullie House Volunteer Coordinator) and the rest of the team. I would recommend volunteering here to anyone. Everyone’s really nice and it’s lovely.